[nabs-l] Christmas travel tips

Mon Dec 17 22:25:53 UTC 2012

I would encourage anyone who has airport questions to check out the
list archives where this topic has been discussed several times. I
also recently found an iPhone app called FlySmart which is very
helpful and almost fully accessible. You can use it to find the gate
where your flight is leaving from and flight status info (whether or
not it is delayed) as well as a list of shops and restaurants in the
concourse where your gate is located. They also have airport maps
which I assume are not accessible, but the restaurant listings are
straightforward and very helpful especially if going to a less
familiar airport. I find the toughest part of airport navigation is
finding where to check in. I get around this by either printing my
boarding pass at home, if I am not checking any bags, or using
curbside checkpoints at the curb in front of the terminal entrance if
I am checking bags. Some airlines do not have curbside check-in, but
most do and a cab or shuttle driver should know where they are. If you
are walking or taking a bus to the airport, you may need to ask a few
people for directions to curbside since some people won't know what
you are talking about and will try to take you inside to check in, but
persistence pays off. Anyway, once you have your boarding pass you can
get directions to security and then to the gate, or get assistance,
whichever you prefer.
As for buses, Beth, I'm not sure if you are asking about local transit
or buses to get between cities. One resource that's great for planning
a local transit route is Google Maps. You can go to
maps.google.com
click "get directions" and type in your starting and ending addresses.
You will get driving directions, but then click "by public transit"
and tell it when you want to leave. If a city bus is available Google
Maps will give you the scheduling and route information.
Best,
Arielle

On 12/16/12, Kirt <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
> Beth I think people overcomplicate airports sometimes. For me, knowing that
> general layout of an airport beforehand is good… But I think it can be
> harmful to get so bogged down in a little details that don't really matter.
> As long as I know where IM, and as long as I know where my plane is leaving
> from, I don't really have too much trouble asking directions to places along
> the way… Breaking it up into smaller steps is very good, in my experience,
> when you're asking for directions from people. For example, let's say you
> are in terminal a and you were looking for gate C7. It probably wouldn't be
> a good idea to ask random strangers where gate C7 is. You could, however,
> ask about how you get from concourse to concourse, and that's where it's a
> little bit helpful to have a general layout of the airport in your head
> before. That way you kind of know if you have to take a train, or if you can
> walk between the terminals, or what. But anyways, getting back to my
> example. You ask someone how to move between concourses instead of asking
> where gate C7 is. That way, oh well – intentioned stranger is a lot less
> likely to follow you around all over the place. Anyways, now you are on the
> train… Or the hallway between concourses, however your specific airport is
> set up. You can now either ask where Concourse C is, or maybe it would be a
> better idea to just walk to the next concourse and see which one it is… That
> way you can kind of figure out a pattern. If you are taking a train between
> concourses instead of walking, which you have to do sometimes, it will
> usually announced every time it stops what terminal you are at and what
> airlines arrive and depart from there. So you find the right terminal. The
> terminal can be arranged in a circle, with gates radiating off of it like
> spokes from a wheel. Alternatively, your terminal might be arranged like a
> really long hallway, with the gates on either side. You can either walk
> around, and ask people questions like what gate you are at and what the next
> gate is on either side, or you can just ask somebody to explain the layout
> of the place… I prefer the former option, but that's just me. Anyways, when
> you figured out how your terminal is set up, it's usually not that hard to
> find the specific gate you need. You can just ask people what gate you are
> at as needed. Anyways, once you are there, just wait for your flight and
> enjoy! If you have the time, why not go explore and figure out what else is
> around you… I usually like to find the closest fast food restaurant if I
> have a chance. :-) I haven't really talked about security, but the same
> principles apply… If you just ask people where the security checkpoint is,
> once you know you are in your right terminal, you should be fine. It's all
> about breaking it up into baby steps, as much as possible, when you are
> asking for directions… It's usually best to ask people to give you
> directions to things that they can see, whenever that's possible. For
> example, don't ask for the security checkpoint in terminal D when you are in
> terminal a. Instead ask where you go to move between terminals, then from
> there find your right terminal, and only once you are there ask for the
> security checkpoint in that specific concourse. Oh, and the airport people
> often ask you if you need assistance, and they will just drop you off where
> you need to go. My dad saw Dr. Maurer Getting around our local airport this
> way, so I don't think there is any shame in it at all. I, personally, only
> do that as a last resort if I am running very late… But whatever works best
> for you is totally Fine with me… If you prefer to accept the assistance from
> airport staff, more power to you. I just like doing it independently because
> I know I am capable And I enjoy the chance to explore. Anyways, I hope that
> helped, and didn't just make you more confused. :-)
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Dec 16, 2012, at 4:41 PM, Beth Taurasi <denverqueen1107 at comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi, all.
>> I thought it woul be a good idea to ask what travel tips would be good for
>> Chritmas vacation and after.  Flying, busses, and so on should be covered
>> in all the tips.  I'm flying actually, and looking forward to it.
>> Thanks.
>> Beth
>>
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